Illustration by Tomiris Tatisheva
Year:
Senior, Class of 2023
Major/College:
I’m an English and History major at Barnard. I went into college thinking I would only be an English major but decided to try other things because everyone always said that your major would change a million times throughout college. I tried History and ended up really liking it, but I still gravitated so much toward English and that’s how I ended up double majoring. I feel really comfortable in both majors because I think they play to my strengths and passions quite well.
Hometown:
I was born in New York but moved to London when I was four and grew up there. But I have an American accent, so no one believes that I’m British!
What you love about Quarto (you can also share a favorite memory):
I did two other extracurriculars here before I got to Quarto and I was quite miserable at them. I had a hard time finding community in these spaces. I joined Quarto during my sophomore year. This was during the trenches of COVID, so I was at home in London taking classes in the middle of the night, but amongst all of that Quarto was just the best experience, even though it was completely online. I think it really got me through that year and made me feel like more of a part of a community than I ever did on campus.
What else are you involved in/hobbies & interests:
I’ve interned at a few different publishing houses this past year. My favorite one was last summer. I got to work with picture books, which I feel really passionately about. They published a lot of diverse and progressive picture books for kids, which I think is really important. I really believed in what they were doing and all the books were so beautiful.
Favorite author/work:
My favorite book is Severance by Ling Ma. I love dystopian stuff, so I really enjoyed how she explained New York coming to a grinding halt. Also, I just really relate to the protagonist, even though we have super different backgrounds. She’s a very introspective character who doesn’t know what to do with her life. I tell everyone to read this book.
I also love Mitski to death. I became obsessed with her over the summer. My favorite album of hers is Bury Me at Makeout Creek.
A movie I really love these days is Fallen Angels by Wong Kar Wai. Everything is so blurry and romantic. I love how he expresses missed connections and longing.
What’s in your tote bag/essential items (5-10):
Headphones: These headphones are kind of shit.
Water Bottle: This water bottle has my name engraved on it. It was a gift just before I started college. I remember people at NSOP being like, “oh, you’re that girl with the name engraved on your water bottle,” and I really tried to fight being that girl.
Notebook: I carry this little journal with me everywhere. I love how small it is. It was meant to be used for an assignment for my Fiction workshop. We were supposed to write down observations about the world and people around us, but clearly, I’m a little self-absorbed because this whole thing is filled with my thoughts and feelings. I treat it like a little diary.
Epi-Pen: This case holds three epi-pens. I’m allergic to nuts and soy, so I always have this on me.
Mini Perfume: This is one of my favorite scents.
Lip-Balm: This is my first time owning a minty lip balm and I’m quite happy with the transition.